FCCPC to arraign MultiChoice, CEO Ugbe for obstructing probe, ignoring summons

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has filed criminal charges against MultiChoice Nigeria Limited, its Chief Executive Officer John Ugbe, and several directors of the company for allegedly obstructing a statutory investigation and refusing to comply with lawful summonses concerning its DStv and GOtv pay-TV services.

 FHC/ABJ/CR/197/2025, filed by the FCCPC legal team led by Nsitem Chizenum, Esq. The case comes shortly after the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a separate suit filed by MultiChoice seeking to validate recent subscription price hikes.

According to the charge sheet, MultiChoice Nigeria and its senior executives—including Gozie Onumonu, Adewunmi Ogunsanya, and others—failed to appear before the Commission on March 6, 2025, in defiance of a lawful summons dated February 25, 2025.

The Commission alleges that the executives not only refused to attend the hearing but also deliberately withheld requested documents, thereby impeding an active investigation into the company’s pricing structure and potential anti-competitive conduct.

“The defendants, being directors of MultiChoice Nigeria Limited, caused the company to fail to produce documents required by the Commission, in violation of Section 3 of the FCCPC Act 2018,” the Commission charged.

During Tuesday’s court proceedings, Justice James Omotosho was informed that while MultiChoice Nigeria had been served, the individual defendants had not yet received personal service of the charges. Consequently, the judge adjourned the case to October 7, 2025, for arraignment.

The legal action follows Justice Omotosho’s May 8 ruling, which dismissed MultiChoice’s earlier attempt to block regulatory action over its price hikes, describing the company’s suit as an “abuse of court process.”

Previously, the same court had granted an interim injunction restraining the FCCPC from taking administrative steps against MultiChoice over its controversial price increases for DStv and GOtv.

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Despite this reprieve, the FCCPC insisted that MultiChoice’s pattern of frequent price hikes, dominance in the pay-TV market, and alleged refusal to justify pricing models warranted closer scrutiny.

The Commission summoned the CEO and company officials for a formal hearing on February 27, 2025.

When the company failed to comply, the Commission warned that its refusal to cooperate could trigger regulatory sanctions under its enforcement powers.

MultiChoice’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Onigbanjo, filed a case to prevent the FCCPC from prosecuting the company, citing concerns over a lack of fair hearing. However, the court sided with the regulator, dismissing the suit and clearing the way for the FCCPC to proceed with its enforcement efforts.

If convicted, the accused executives and MultiChoice Nigeria could face penalties under the FCCPC Act, which prohibits any action that impedes investigations or defies lawful directives issued in the course of regulatory oversight.

This case marks a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s consumer protection landscape, as the FCCPC moves to enforce compliance among dominant players in the country’s fast-growing media and entertainment industry.